About Sarah

Full Time Dog Sitter, Trainer & Dog Whisperer

I’ve been taking care of dogs full time for a year now and I’m ABSOLUTELY living the dream! Dogs come home from a stay with me calmer, happier and better mannered. It’s like your kids going to a boot camp yoga retreat…and I will send lots of photos and videos so you won’t have a chance to miss them!

I live in an epic location with private access into a 4 acre enclosed dog park; I'm only a 5 min jog to 50 acres at Kingston Reserve AND only a 5 min drive to Mentone off-leash dog beach and Karkarook Park! We sure know how to have daily adventures! We have a large fully fenced back garden which wraps around the house and we even have an outdoor shower to fix the consequence of muddy play sessions at the park. The house is like a 5 star Canine Airbnb.

I'm a calm and confident dog trainer. My training is all about verbal praise and encouraging a dogs inner zen! I believe in a mutual calm, safe and trusting relationship between each human and between the dogs. I teach dogs to stop and seek guidance rather than rushing ahead and reacting/barking. I teach them to respect one another.

I have years of experience with dogs and dog behavioural training teaching dogs to slow and calm down and connect with me rather than rush and react when they’re worried about something. I have spent so much time in the company of dogs, my brain thinks like a dog and I understand their concerns. I teach them to stay in their beds when the doorbell rings. I teach them to wait at gates for permission to exit and wait to be invited in and out of the car for safety reasons. I teach them to listen to my command above the motion of a ball being thrown and to hold a sit until I say “Free!”….I have lots of rules…but the dogs LOVE the routine of run-work-sleep-repeat. I run my schedule like a kindergarten and nobody has time to feel home-sick or sad…there’s no time for that!

I absolutely love each dogs different personality and their energy. Dogs are part of our family so nobody sleeps outside - unless they want to (not sure who would want to?) The dogs sleep in their beds in the dining room and this is where they nap throughout the day too.

Our schedule is modified to suit our guess, but usually the routine starts at 7am in the garden and then we have a 1 hour jog around Kingston Heath Reserve (50 acres) looking for Mr Donkey, Alpacas and the Sheep. I thoroughly check them for seeds and burrs and I sit and get everyone cleaned up before coming in for breakfast…which is fed via puzzles so that they work for their food. Then it’s morning naptime in their beds. The dogs are never alone…if I have to run an errand, the dogs come with me or my son will stay and supervise. Dogs are never left outside to bark and are only ever alone during mealtimes, when I separate them all for 15 minutes to eat.

We usually go to Karkarook Park and walk a lap of the lake around lunchtime…looking to see if we can say hi to the horses, or head into my adjacent parkland if it’s quiet and I have a well-socialised pack without anxieties. I teach the dogs to hold a drop-stepaway outside in the garden mid morning or afternoon if I need to garden or hang laundry. This brain-work really wears them out mentally!

We sometimes go out into our dog park for more playtime in the evening, or down to the beach. The schedule is always adjusted to the physical and mental needs of the dogs I have. Sometimes if it’s been a big day we will just snuggle in the evenings!

I’m a single parent to a dog-loving 11 year old and two Groodles called Potato and Pumpkin. We are major animal lovers! We have a pack of 7 dogs most days…the dog-limit is how many I can fit into my car to ensure everyone can always come for the ride.

My groodle Potato is calm, well-mannered and likes to follow the rules. He was socialised as a puppy at doggy daycare 3x a week until 4 months old, corrected on antisocial behaviours and interacts with so many dogs each day through the dog park community, which is basically our garden extension. Potato is very respectful of smaller and older dogs - and a fabulous educator for timid or overly rambunctious puppies. His best friend in April 2021 was a 3 month old foster kitten called Bentley!!

Pumpkin is easily dominated and not a great leader within my pack (unfortunately copying bad behaviours from guest dogs easier than I would like) …but she is a lot of fun…guest dogs ALWAYS love her…her obedience transitions (ie “sit-stand-drop-spin-drop” in succession) are on point! She can find my iphone with her NOSE out in our 4 acre park within 10 minutes and NEVER loses her ball! There’s never a dull moment with her…she’s got all the party tricks.

We are so excited to be able to give your pup a training holiday whilst you have yours. I can guarantee they will have a ball and come back calmer and more confident!

Check me out on Instagram…Meekies_Dogs 😃...